by Sat Bir S. Khalsa Yoga is everywhere. The latest Yoga Journal survey shows that 20.4 million Americans practice yoga, and another 104 million are interested in the practice. Five national airports provide a dedicated yoga room. The use of yoga, meditation, and deep breathing as complementary therapies, as an adjunct to allopathic medicine, is […]

Over the last decade, there has been a growing amount of research on the benefits of yoga. Studies on yoga’s impact on cancer, pregnancy, depression, and anxiety—to name just a few—have allowed yoga to move from the periphery of health care toward increased respect from scientists, mental-health clinicians, and medical practitioners. Yet, to date, the […]

Nine years ago, we at Kripalu made an exciting decision: to undertake a serious yoga research program. It all began with a chance meeting. I was attending the opening dinner celebrating Harvard’s new program in Asian Medicine and Healing, and had an opportunity to chat with Sat Bir S. Khalsa—a Harvard professor with a reputation […]

by Sudha Carolyn Lundeen Statistics show that people in the United States and abroad are practicing yoga in ever-increasing numbers. Some call it a fad that will eventually fade away. Yet the profound physical and psychological benefits that so many experience lead me to think otherwise. As medical and yogic research expands, empirical evidence places […]

Many of us have experienced the immediate results of practicing yoga: less stress and a sense of calm. But what you might not know is that regular practice could yield long-term heath benefits. Research from the National Institute of Health (NIH) suggests that practicing yoga, along with regular exercise, can help relieve back pain, high […]

From Encinitas, California, to Baltimore, Maryland, educators, legislators, and activists are doing their part to bring yoga into the schools. We’ve seen this movement growing and Kripalu is working with school educators and wellness experts to help share the calming effects of yoga to children and adolescents. Through learning breathing practices, yoga postures, deep relaxation, […]

While many people turn to yoga to reduce stress, an equal number go to yoga class in order to experience a greater sense of connection—with themselves and with each other. We come in to class feeling separate, disconnected, even resentful (Why did she put her mat so close to mine?). We leave smiling, warmed by […]

One increasingly popular form of meditation is loving-kindness meditation (LKM), the practice of wishing one’s self and others to be happy, content, and at ease. In the yoga tradition, loving-kindness is seen as an opportunity to “cultivate the opposite.” Where many meditation techniques encourage students to explore difficult feelings or emotions directly, in loving-kindness, the […]